1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for determining and processing items of information that are relevant for setting up a telephone connection in a CTI system, as well as a CTI system in which a method of this sort is used.
2. Description of the Related Art
CTI (Computer Telephony Integration) stands for the connection of computer technology on the one hand with telephone technology on the other hand, that is, for computer-supported telecommunication. Through the application of computer technology, calls can be controlled so that computer-supported call number dialing, call monitoring, or call forwarding is possible. In addition, with the use of CTI technology, computer-supported processing of items of information transmitted as a result of a telecommunication connection is possible, so that a computer-supported data transmission, speech recognition, or tone production can be executed.
In the design of CTI systems, in principle a distinction is made between two different types of CTI systems. Thus, on the one hand a direct coupling of a computer (personal computer) with a telephone terminal device is conceivable, while on the other hand what is known as a client/server solution can be used, according to which a computer is connected via a local network (local area network, LAN) with a CTI server, which in turn is connected directly to a telecommunication installation (TC installation). The design of CTI systems has a significant influence on the type of call controlling. Whereas, given a direct coupling between a computer and a telephone terminal device, the computer can control only the telephone connected thereto (known as first-party call control), with the use of the client/server solution it is additionally possible to control a plurality of telephones, and a corresponding plurality of calls, from a central instance (known as third-party call control).
In addition to these fundamental possible distinctions, programming interfaces (application programming interface, API) and protocols are often also used for the specification of CTI solutions. The programming interfaces represent the interfaces to the CTI applications running on the respective computer, and, given the client/server solution, are applied directly to the respectively used CTI server. Known types of CTI programming interfaces include TAPI (Telephony Application Programming Interface) and TSAPI (Telephony Services Application Programming Interface). In addition to CTI servers having only one programming interface, CTI servers with a plurality of these programming interfaces are also known. A known CTI protocol is what is known as CSTA (Computer Supported Telecommunications Applications), which is supported by many manufacturers of telecommunication equipment for the use of CTI servers.
In CTI systems, CTI applications represent the interface to the user of the CTI system. As a rule, these CTI applications are auxiliary programs running on the respective computer, which can be used on one hand by the user and which on the other hand are connected directly with the corresponding telephone terminal device or with the CTI server through the previously described programming interfaces. These CTI applications are as a rule capable of managing call numbers or, respectively, accessing existing address inventories (with corresponding call numbers) and starting other applications. In addition, they offer the possibility of being controlled remotely by other programs running on the computer, through the transmission of call numbers to be dialed via what are known as DDE (Dynamic Data Exchange) functions. With the introduction of the TAPI interface in Windows technology, particular programs are also capable of accessing the respectively connected telephone terminal device themselves, whereby as a rule the further processing of a call is left to the individual CTI applications.
As can be learned from the above description, in CTI systems the capability of dialing call numbers via a computer (personal computer, PC) is currently limited to the respective CTI applications themselves, or to auxiliary programs that either have a direct access to the TAPI interface or that can remotely control the CTI applications with the aid of the DDE functions. Call numbers that are present in arbitrary other applications (for example, word processing programs or databases) can be used for dialing and for setting up a telecommunication connection only with difficultyxe2x80x94for example, in Windows, through the use of what is known as the intermediate clipboard functionxe2x80x94or else not at all. The same holds for name and address information, which can be coupled with corresponding call number information if necessary.
The present invention is thus based on an object of providing a method as well as a corresponding CTI system in order to enable application-independent access to items of information that are relevant for dialing a call number, and to enable further processing of these items of information.
According to the present invention, this object is achieved by a method for determining and processing items of information that are relevant for setting up a telephone connection in a CTI system, comprising the steps: a) selecting by a user of an arbitrary character string shown on display means of computing means of the CTI system, b) automatically evaluating the character string selected in said selecting process, and c) automatically processing, dependent on a result of the evaluation carried out in step b), of the selected character string, according to a particular processing function of the CTI system. A CTI system is also provided, comprising: telecommunication apparatus for setting up a telecommunication connection, and a computer coupled with the telecommunication apparatus to control or monitor the telecommunication apparatus, the computer including: a selector for selection by a user of an arbitrary character string shown on a display of the computer, a control for automatic evaluation of the character string selected by the user, and a processor in order to subject the selected character string automatically to a particular processing function of the CTI system. Advantageous and preferred exemplary embodiments of the present invention enable access to or, respectively, corresponding processing of items of information that are relevant for setting up a telecommunication connection, in a manner that is as simple as possible and that encompasses as many applications as possible. In particular, the method provides that the character string is selected by the user by marking the character string. Further, in step b, the content of the character string selected in step a) is checked automatically for relevance for a call number dialing in the CTI system, and, if a lack of relevance is determined, an inputting possibility for the inputting of a new character string by the user is automatically provided, whereby a newly inputted character string is subsequently subjected to steps b) and c), instead of the character string originally selected in step a).
The method is further characterized in that the inputting possibility for the inputting of a new character string is provided in the form of an input window on the display means of the computing means of the CTI system. In step b), the relevance of the character string for a call number dialing in the CTI system is judged in that, given a character string comprising a string of numerals, it is checked automatically whether the string of numerals can possibly be a call number for the CTI system, and in that, given a character string comprising a string of letters, it is automatically checked whether the string of letters can possibly be a name or address for the CTI system. In step c), the selected character string is subjected to various processing functions, dependent on the content of the character string. Specifically, the processing functions of the CTI system can be freely configured by the user.
According to the foregoing, in step c), for the case in which the selected character string comprises a string of numerals, a call number corresponding to this string of numerals is dialedxe2x80x94automatically or after confirmation by the userxe2x80x94via telecommunication means of the CTI system. The call number corresponding to the selected string of numerals is supplied to a telephone interface of the computing means of the CTI system for the dialing of the call number, either automatically or after confirmation by the user. In a preferred embodiment, in step c), for the case in which the selected character string corresponds to an e-mail address, a desired communication is sent to this e-mail address, automatically or after confirmation by the user, via telecommunication means of the CTI system. Inn step c), for the case in which the selected character string comprises a string of letters, a search process is carried outxe2x80x94automatically or after confirmation by the userxe2x80x94in corresponding storage means of the CTI system for an entry corresponding to the respective string of letters, or a new entering of an entry corresponding to the string of letters is carried out to the storage means of the CTI system. In particular, in step c), given successful execution of the search process in the storage means of the CTI system, the call number corresponding to the respective string of letters and stored in the storage means is determinedxe2x80x94automatically or after confirmation by the userxe2x80x94and this call number is dialed via telecommunication means of the CTI system. For the case in which, in step c), as a result of the search process a plurality of entries in the storage means of the CTI system matching the respective string of letters has been determined, a selection possibility for the selection of one of the determined entries is provided to the user. In step c), given successful execution of the search process in the storage means of the CTI system, the e-mail address corresponding to the respective string of letters and stored in the storage means is determined automatically or after confirmation by the user - and a communication is sent to this e-mail address via telecommunication means of the CTI system. Dependent on the processing function carried out in step c), a report concerning the execution of the respective processing function is outputted to the computing means of the CTI system. The method further provides that steps b) and c) are carried out by the computing means of the CTI system.
In the CTI system according to the foregoing, the selection means includes input means for marking by the user of the character string to be selected. The control means and processing means of the computing means are fashioned in such a way that they evaluate or, respectively, process the selected character string according to step a) in the method. Specifically, the processing means includes a telephone interface for selecting a call number via the telecommunication means. The processing means of one embodiment includes an interface for accessing storage means of the CTI system, whereby the storage means store a multiplicity of items of information that are relevant for a call number dialing. The processing means has an interface for sending an e-mail to a particular e-mail address via the telecommunication means.
The basic principle of the present invention is essentially that a user of the CTI system first recognizes and selects a relevant character string (string) on the display screen of the computer of the CTI system, which can in particular take place through marking of this relevant character string. Subsequently, the content of the marked character string is read and evaluated, whereby, dependent on whether the marked character string contains numerals or letters or a combination of numerals and letters, various processing functions of the CTI system are applied with respect to the marked character string, so that for example upon recognition of a string of numerals an item of dialing information can be derived therefrom, and the automatic dialing of the call number can be carried out via the existing telephone interface. Upon recognition of a string of letters, via an existing interface to an index server (directory server) a search can be carried out for this string of letters as a name entry in the database of the directory server, which can store a plurality of electronic address books with corresponding call number entries. If the directory server reports back a string of numerals (a numeral string) that is relevant for an item of dialing information, according to a preferred exemplary embodiment this string is handled in exactly the same manner as a string of numerals marked by the user, and a corresponding control command for dialing the call number corresponding to the string of numerals is given to the telephone interface.
The present invention is completely independent of the type of CTI system used and of the respectively used CTI application running on the computer of the CTI system. Accordingly, the present invention can be used both on CTI systems with individual telephone terminal devices and also on CTI systems with client/server solutions. As a result of the present invention, it is possible for a user to set up a telephone connection, or, respectively, to start an address query to a directory server, independent of the application currently in use, directly from the computer or display screen workstation of the CTI system. Advantageously, in the present invention standard interfaces of the type TAPI and LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol) are used, offering numerous application possibilities to the user. The present invention enables the realization of comprehensive solutions in the CTI area, which can for example also include call number dialing from Internet browsers.